


Thunder

by SuperNerd (Regina_Lupus)



Series: The Aftermath [2]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Dorks in Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff, One Shot, Panic Attacks, Post-Canon, Post-Sacrifice Arcadia Bay Ending, Thunderstorms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-18 21:06:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13108521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Regina_Lupus/pseuds/SuperNerd
Summary: A storm rolls through Seattle, and Chloe swoops in to save Max from the memories that haunt her.





	Thunder

**Author's Note:**

> Chloe is a very protective cuddly girlfriend and no one can convince me otherwise. By all rights this is the first thing I’ve written for the characters so if anyone is a little out of character, I apologize. A bit late to the fandom as well, but better late than never!
> 
> Constructive criticism always appreciated, but please be gentle. My heart has been mercilessly abused by this game. xD

Chloe tensed, then began to wrestle her clothes on hastily. The rumble of thunder was distant still, but if she could hear it then there was a chance Max had as well. She needed to get to her. She needed to be there for her and calm her down. This wasn’t the first time a storm had passed over Seattle since they’d come here (it was _Seattle_ , after all) so Chloe knew what would happen if Max had to face this alone.

She raced down the stairs, calling Max’s name. There was no reply, which made sense, but still Chloe couldn’t stop her own panic from starting to rise.

‘Calm down,’ she commanded herself. ‘Calm down, find Max. She needs you, Price! You’ve got this!’

Chloe thankfully found the younger girl quickly. She was stood stark still in the living room, trembling and panting like she’d run a mile. Her eyes were glued to the rain pelted window. She approached carefully, calling Max’s name so as not to startle her further. Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to hear her at first.

“Max. Max, look at me,” she said gently. She cupped Max’s jaw carefully, trying not to heighten her panic. Thankfully, Max didn’t protest as her head was turned. That relief was short lived. Max’s expression was blank, eyes completely unfocused in a thousand yard stare.

Chloe knew that look. It was even more terrifying than seeing panic in her eyes. She needed to bring Max back to the present.

“Focus on me, babe,” she called softly, stroking her thumbs over Max’s cheeks. “Listen to my voice and focus on me. I’m okay. You’re okay. We’re both okay and the tornado isn’t coming back.”

She continued talking until Max blinked a few times, her eyes seeming to focus more completely. Her previously paralyzed hands shot up to fist themselves into Chloe’s shirt. The vacant look was gone a moment later, replaced with a look of panic so intense Chloe had to swallow back her innate desire to find something to throw a punch at in her girlfriend’s defense.

‘There’s nothing to attack. There’s no real danger. Stay calm and calm her down.’

“Atta girl,” she encouraged once Max was present again. Step one complete. “You’re doing great, Max. Remember to breathe. Deep breath in, hold for four seconds, let it out slow.”

Max shook her head, muttering incoherently. She managed to catch a few ‘no’s and ‘I can’t,’ but for the most part it was too jumbled to make sense of.

“You got this, Super Girl,” Chloe nearly purred. She reached down to take one of Max’s hands. She loosed her grip gently before pressing the hand over her heart. “Copy me, babe. Deep breaths.”

She started a pattern of deep breathing she’d learned a while back to help herself through things like this. On the second exhale, Max began to mimic her. She made sure to keep up the pattern until she was sure Max could breathe easily on her own. After a moment of silent reassurance, Chloe took Max’s hands in her own and lead her toward the couch.

Max came easily and sat down without protest. Chloe sat down right next to her, making sure they were still touching. She wound her arm around Max’s shoulders, pulling the smaller girl into her side. She could feel the lingering tension still, and had to gently restrain Max when another rumble of thunder and flash of lightening came.

“Shh, shh,” she cooed as Max huddled frantically into her. Her face was buried in Chloe’s shoulder, breathing starting to kick up again. “Remember to breathe, babe. Deep breaths. You’re doing amazing.”

She stroked her hair, breathing deeply to coax Max into copying her again. She glanced around, trying to find something she could use to distract Max from the storm. There was a throw blanket over the back of the couch and an idea came to her. Chloe very gently urged Max to pull her legs onto to couch. The brunette went along with her easily, not even showing any signs of curiosity at her intent. As it always did, the trust Max was showing her made her heart skip a beat.

She pulled her own legs up, huddling them as closely together as she could. Chloe was nearly overwhelmed with the intensity of her desire to shield Max from whatever evil would do her harm. If she had been less concerned for her girlfriend, she probably would have teased her for making her into such a sap.

She grabbed the blanket and unceremoniously tossed it over them. Chloe spent a moment arranging the blanket over them in a very poor excuse for a blanket fort. She could feel Max begin to relax in the dimmed light under the blanket. The younger sighed softly into Chloe’s shoulder after a moment of silence before nuzzling her cheek against it.

“You’re amazing,” she said softly. Chloe steadfastly ignored the warmth in her face at the genuine complement.

Instead, the blue-haired teen scoffed playfully. “Uh, hella yeah I am. That’s not news. Get with the times, hippie!”

Max laughed, the sound genuine but still a little wobbly. “You should work on your fort making skills though, Captain,” she bantered back to Chloe’s relief.

“Are you questioning me, First Mate?” She tried to sound enraged, but the smile on her face ruined the impact her words might have had.

Max turned her head up, pressed a warm kiss against Chloe’s jaw. Chloe’s brain short circuited for a moment. “Aye. It might be time for a long overdue mutiny. Why are you the captain again?”

“Obviously, because I wear the hat in this relationship,” she teased, quickly regaining herself to keep up the game. “And I have more of a car than you do right now.”

Max lifted her head, and Chloe looked down to meet her eyes curiously. She was endlessly thankful that her eyes had adjusted to the low light of their pseudo-fort. She could see Max’s beautiful eyes almost perfectly. They were present and filled with affection, watching Chloe as if she were the most important thing, the only thing, in the entire world. Her hand reached up then, and Chloe felt her fingers run gently through still damp blue hair.

“I see no hat,” she teased, a too amused little smile crossing her lips.

Chloe swooped in and stole a chaste kiss, keenly aware of Max’s hand on the back of her neck. The teen moved to press kisses along Max’s jaw, then ducked down to press a kiss against the soft skin of her neck.

“Maybe not,” she whispered, feeling the younger teen tremble slightly. “But I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear a hat to begin with.”

Chloe lifted her head, scowling a bit at Max’s self-deprecating laugh. “I look like a dork when I wear a hat,” she said quietly, looking down.

“First, you always look like a dork.” She pressed a kiss to Max’s temple, hoping to ease any sting the words may have accidentally had. “Second, you’re trying on one of my beanies. I want to see just how adorkable you look.”

“You did not just say ‘adorkable,’” Max groaned, flopping heavily against Chloe’s shoulder. “You fucking dork.”

Chloe grinned and squeezed Max tightly. “I did, and we’re gonna test my theories!”

Chloe threw the blanket off, completely forgetting it’s original purpose as she dragged a laughing Max upstairs to their (secretly not secretly) shared room.

Since this was Max’s parents’ house, they weren’t technically suppose to be sharing a room. That rule had been put into place after Max had not only come out to her parents but announced Chloe as her girlfriend. However, both Ryan and Vanessa knew that the rule had been mostly ignored. Granted, some of Chloe’s clothes were still in the guest room and occasionally she would be found sleeping on the couch in the morning, but everyone knew Chloe’s preferred territory was also Max’s territory. As it were, the rule was mostly just used to tease the young couple.

The pair burst into the room excitedly, all woes forgotten in favor of hunting down a suitable beanie for the younger of the pair.

────────────────

As soon as Vanessa and Ryan were through the door of their home, the former was searching for her daughter. They were both very aware of what storms could do to her and, while Ryan had the utmost faith in Chloe’s ability, Vanessa was skeptical only out of motherly paranoia.

When she couldn’t find hide nor hair of either downstairs, she headed up and immediately to Max's room. She knocked gently, called her name and got no answer. After a moment of hesitation she cracked the door open and peaked in. She scanned the room for a moment, first noticing the mess of clothing on the floor then the pair currently in question. She couldn’t fight the smile that spread over her face.

The girls were currently cuddled up together, both deeply asleep and quite comically dressed in the other’s clothes. Max was almost indistinguishable in the pool of larger clothing while Chloe looked like she was wearing clothes that had been dried on the highest setting. The pure innocence of the scene and the sleepy little smile on Max’s face set Vanessa’s mind at ease. She closed the door quietly so as not to disturb the pair and headed back downstairs.

**Author's Note:**

> I have personally experienced panic attacks, but those were quite awhile ago comparatively. I’m basing Max’s reaction off minimal personal memory, intense online research and a little bit of a headcanon, I suppose you could call it. That headcanon being the concept of Max being “present” or not. Pretty sure it’s been done before anyway. :p


End file.
